The Magic Rings and the Cloud Abode

It was the beginning of August. Ellie and Annie were hugely enjoying the summer holidays and couldn’t wait for their next adventure. And they didn’t have to wait long for it, either: as soon as their parents came home from work on Friday, all four of them were going to Grandma and Grandad’s. They were looking forward to it!

Grandma kept chickens and rabbits, which both sisters liked to feed. Every animal in the yard had its own name and Grandma took good care of them. Grandad’s paradise was his workshop. Ellie and Annie loved it in there too – as soon as you walked in and took a breath, you were filled with the intoxicating smell of wood. It was a smell that reminded them of all the wonderful holidays they had spent here.

“Grandma, Grandad, we’re here!” they both shouted, jumping out of their car seats as quickly as they could. Grandma was already walking towards them with a smile and, as always, she smelled of the most amazing goodies you can imagine. Grandad hurried after her, brushing his hands on his boiler suit ready to give the girls a big hug.

After the joyful welcome, Ellie and Annie ran into the garden to pick raspberries and blueberries, but something stopped them in their tracks. All the flowers, bushes and trees looked... sort of sad. The leaves and flowers were hanging limp, and there were no sweet blueberries or juicy raspberries to be had except in the girls’ dreams.

“It’s been so dry this year,” Grandma explained with a sigh when she caught up with them. “We have watered them as much as we can, but the rainwater butt is already empty and we can’t use up too much water from…